As we enter March, Women’s History Month gives us a chance to recognize the achievements of women in the business of transit. Like many industries, transportation was a man’s world until women made space for themselves.
Wilma Russey
A classic form of ridesharing, the taxi business didn’t see a woman cab driver until January 1, 1915. Wilma Russey became a pioneer of the transit industry before women even had the right to vote. Her story headlined the New York Times with an article titled “New York’s First Feminine Chauffeur Starts Business on New Year’s Day.” In her signature leopard-skin hat, she quickly became a popular local driver with a strong background and expertise in mechanics.
Helen Schultz: "Iowa's Bus Queen"
When public transit made its way to the U.S., it was typically in small-scale and often family-run enterprises. If women were in the business, it was likely because she inherited it from her husband or father. One female entrepreneur changed everything—Helen Schultz, founder of the Red Ball Transportation Company at age 26. Established in Iowa in 1922, this was the first female-owned bus line. In the competitive field of transit, Red Ball was marketed to women and traveling businessmen, and earned Schultz her title of “Iowa’s Bus Queen”.
These figures changed the status quo as they succeeded in their careers. From making it in the New York Times to gaining statewide recognition as the Bus Queen, these women made names for themselves through hard work. Shattering these glass ceilings for women in our country has had lasting impacts on the industry to this day. Women in the transit industry continue to build on their legacies today.
The conversation surrounding transportation equity is incomplete without hearing from disadvantaged communities such as low-income members of society, people with disabilities, and Black andBIPOC(Black, Indigenous, People of Color)communities.
What is Transit Equity?
Transportation equity is the idea that no matter your race, gender, income, age, or location, public transit is a civil right that should be safe, accessible, affordable, and environmentally sustainable.
In order to achievetransit equityaround the U.S.,residentsneed to be providedwith proper resources, tools, and opportunities for economic growth.In terms of transit, funding public transportation systems is key to community advancement.
Transit Equity Day, celebrated on February 4th, commemorates the life and legacy of Rosa Parks and the key role she played increatingthe ideals behind transportation equity.We are able to take all the positive changes we have made, and develop them further to make transit systems better for those who have historically been left out.
Combatting Climate Change
Not only is public transit a connection between communities and economic abundance, but a strategy to combat climate change. This creates a great need for low-income and primarily Black communities to receive abundant resources for equitable and accessible transit systems.
Transit equity requiresstakeholdersand industry leadersto pinpoint where the needs are the greatest, and to do what’s necessary to meet those needs. If weare planning for the people who are the most marginalized, then everyone in between benefits, too.
Recognizing the link between economic, environmental, and health issues is key to beginning to achieve transit equity. The disproportionate impact of environmental hazards on people of color has been heightened by institutional policy and planning that leaves out low-income communities from the real benefits of thriving public transit systems.
Our Role
To advocate and fight fortransit equity, members of the transportation industry like ourselves must create space to prioritize community voice, and center on processes that achieve positive outcomes.
AsVernā Myers, VP of Inclusion Strategy at Netflix put it, “Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance.”
In her youth,Edwina ‘Curlie’ Justuswas the only Black student in her entire elementary school.She would go on to defy what anyone ever thought a Black woman could bein oursociety, andbecome the first Black female locomotive engineer at Union Pacific Railroad.
Defying Expectations
Born in 1943 in Omaha, Nebraska, Justus was always a dreamer.Living inan unsupportive world,everything she achieved came down to pure resilience andhard work. When she washired at Union Pacific as an office clerk in 1973, she was one of five black women working for the Omaha office.
Always described as bubbly, pleasant, and hardworking, Justus endured the cruel face of racism on a daily basis at her place of work. NickAloi, a former employee at the same time as Justus, was interviewed forNebraska Stories, and said “She had two strikes: She was a woman, and she was Black.”
Justuswouldrecount the things she heard coworkers say about her both directly, and when they thought she wasn’t around. But against all odds, she kept her head held high andmoved forward. Within a couple years with Union Pacific, Justus was promoted to the position of traction motor clerk where she would keep track of repairs. “I didn’t even know what a traction motor was,” she recalled. Her drive and intellect boosted her up in the company and she adapted to every challenge thrown her way.
Making History
In 1976, Justus became the company’s first African American female locomotive engineer. For this position, she moved to North Platte, a town of 22,000 people, where less than 100 people were Black.
Justus knew she was making history. “From the very first department I was ever in, most of the guys and the women too had never been close enough to a Black woman to touch,” she said. “I changed every department that I went into.”
A Timeless Inspiration
By the time she left Union Pacific in 1990, the workforce looked very different compared to the barriers Justus had to cross. To this day, this railroadcompany, founded by Abraham Lincoln in 1862, commits itself to inclusion and diversity, and reflecting America in their work.
Still an inspiration to young Black women today, Edwina Justus still resides in Omaha, NE. In 2017, Justus spoke at the Union Pacific Railroad Museum on a Saturday afternoon during a Black History Month event. Her advice on this day was the same as what her younger self would have said: “Never stop daydreaming.”
The Rideshare Company is always looking for sustainable and smart commute options. One that we love to talk about is biking to and from work to maintain a healthy lifestyle and minimize the number of cars on the road.
It comes as a surprise to many how physically demanding it is to ride a bicycle as your means of transportation.
It is an obstacle that keeps people from seeing this as a reasonable way to commute. We have had our eye on an emerging sector of the bicycle industry that may solve a majority of the problems revolving around biking to work. Many have heard of them, but few have ridden one for themselves… E-Bikes!
Electric Bikes are quickly making their way to the top of bike culture, and even replacing cars in countries around the world.
What is an E-Bike?
E-Bikes are unique bicycles with a small electric motor that makes pedaling easier and can propel you up hills and terrain like no bike has done before. This mechanic takes away many of the inconveniences that keep people from riding bikes.
A huge plus-side to E-Bikes is the way they reduce the barrier to bike riding. Not every average person is conditioned to ride 5-10 miles to and from work. E-Bikes make it easy to cover these distances with the electric assist, building strength, endurance and confidence of riders.
While E-Bikes sell for high prices, people weigh the cost in comparison to owning a second car. It becomes well worth the investment when you take out monthly car payments, gas prices, and basic car maintenance.
If you’ve been weighing the pros and cons of getting a bicycle, add E-Bikes to your research. You will likely begin to see more of them as time goes on, along with an increase in safe bike lanes and routes all over cities around the country.
